Electrode for storage batteries.



0.1:. cARPENTaH. ELECTRODE F'OR STORAGE BATTERIES. y APPUI; IIIIIIIII DFEB. 3 1 9 o 9.

l' Hillllllllllll'lllllllll! e Patented Jlily 1l, 1916.

CAMPBELL C. CARPENTER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, `BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT & HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW-YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRODE FOR ASTORAGE BATTRIES.

Specification of vLetters Patent.

Patented 'July ii, taie..

Application filed vFebruary 3, 1909. Serial No. 475,903.

acid solution, and it is Well known by those familiar with this type ofbattery that the acid tends to eat away the body or'core of the plate,vwhich weakens it, and that the growth which results from theelectrochemical action tends to cause the plate to buckle.

As a result of my invention a battery plate is roduced in which theelectrochemical action takes place entirely or almost entirely upon thefins or ribs', without affecting the core to any appreciable extent. Thecore also is stiffer than in the plates heretofore employed and itsconductivity is substantially as great as heretofore.

A plate embodying my invention is illustrated in -the accompanyingdrawings, 1n which:

Figure 1 is a face View of a blank from which the plate may be produced.Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the face of a plate of suitableform. Fig. 4 is a' section still more enlarged, taken on the line 4-4Fig. 3.

The essential feature of this invention is that the plate comprises acore a formed integral with the other parts of the plate and consistingof a material stiffer than the remainder of the plate. For example in a.suitable plate embodying` this invention the core a consists of amixture of antimony and lead while the rest ofthe plate consists ofsubstantially pure lead or other suitable material.

The invention will be readily understood by describing the preferredprocess by .which the plate is manufactured.

The first step is to form a flat sheet, scc Figs. 1 and 2, consisting oftwo layers of commercially pure sheet lead. b separated by, and fused orotherwise integrally united to an inner sheet a consisting of lead mixedwith antiniony. The proportion ispreferably about live percentum byWeight of anti mony to ninety live percentum ofllead. Antimonious leadof this kind is found to have the following characteristics: First, itis practically proof against the electro-chemical action of the battery,it is much stiffer than sheetlead from which antimony is absent; andthird, its conductivity is practically as great as pure lead. Fins orribs c and a border (l are then formed in the outer lead plates, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4, the preferred method of forming them beinedescribed in the applicationl of Frankngel filed November 14, 1907,Serial No. 402,164. In that application are described both a machine andthe method by which it operates to form the fins or ribs, but it issufficient here to say that when formed lthey present an appearance inelevation and cross section shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively,.of theaccompanying drawings. In Fig. 3 the size is greatly exaggerated for inactual practice these ribs occur, for example twenty-.four to the inch.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that in the preferred form theribs slope toward `each other at the bottom, thus forming V shapedgrooves. This form is preferable because the ribs are strengthenedl atthe point of juncture, and as it forms an additional protection andcovering of metal for the core where it would otherwise be exposed. Thisis not essential, however, for with my antimonious core this portion ofthe plate is hardly in need of protection.

A plate of this .construction has great stiffness, both transversely andlongitudif nally, partly because of its configuration but chiefly onaccount of the rigidity of its antimonious core. The plate is long livedon account of the non-susceptibility of' its core to the action of' theelectrolyte and electric current, and its conductivity is substantiallyequal to a similar battery element whose core lacks the antimoniousingredient.

I claim as my invention.

1. A grid for Plante battery plates comprising a central core of analloy of lead and a stifi'cning metal, and parallel ribs formed on theopposite faces ofl said core., said ribs composed of pure leadintegrally united to th-: opposie faces of said @oms the bams of saidribs being thickened to '.i'einfofce *the vih@ ai; mail juncture Wih.said Qme.

2. A Plant@ plate, comprising a main body po'gioi having oppostelyamending ribs said ribs being -eiorced at the point or;A

junction with said body po'ton, the body couslstmg @if nud negm mth saldnbs .and having an intcrmedia antimonious stmmm fm` stiening purposes.

3. The methd of omiug a Plan batzery pla@ which incudes integrallyuntigg @www Sheets of msme'iaL. @mmh Chamid y fomeds u Lnimw 0fmmh-,vial subsmn-M chemca :lation and ommnj ribs on h@ oppes ."faxcssstructure x50 increfas@ e, the pim@ and i0 provid-a p ing activematerial;

. CAMPBELL C. CL, v/vi'enesses:

ELIZABETH M. ATUT- ALLAN M dem

